A quarter moon is one of the four main lunar phases that you can observe, and it occurs between a new moon and a full moon. During a quarter moon, half of the moon appears lighted and the other half is in shadow.
The lighted area of the moon gets smaller and smaller each day between these two phases, until it becomes a waning crescent phase.
First Quarter Moon
The first quarter moon occurs when the moon is one-quarter of its way around Earth’s orbit. This happens right after waning crescent, which is the last phase of the lunar cycle.
It’s a time to consider whether or not you’ve made enough progress in your life so far. It’s also a good time to check how your plans are going and whether or not you have any unfinished business.
This is also a time to make sure that you are taking the best possible care of yourself and your family. Those born at this time of year are highly driven and will not allow anything to stand in their way.
The first quarter is a time of action, but there will be opportunities to rest in the future too. You need to harness the energy of this phase of the moon as much as you can so that you can achieve what you set out to do.
Second Quarter Moon
The second quarter moon, also called waning crescent, is the penultimate phase before a Full Moon. Only a small sliver of the Moon’s surface is illuminated at this time.
Typically, the second quarter moon occurs a week after the New Moon, but may be earlier in some cases. The dates and times of each phase change slightly based on the synodic month, which is a cycle of phases that lasts 29.5 days on average.
This phase is a good time to see Earthshine, when sunlight reflected from the planet gives the dark areas of the Moon a faint glow.
During this period, the Moon is also said to be at east quadrature, meaning that it’s 90 degrees east of the Sun when viewed from Earth. This is similar to how the Sun is positioned in space when it’s at its highest in the sky, just before sunset.
Third Quarter Moon
The third quarter moon is a time to focus on what you’re feeling and experiencing right now. It’s a great opportunity to release what’s no longer working and set boundaries, according to astrologers.
During the last quarter phase, the Moon is said to be at west quadrature, meaning that it’s 90 degrees west of the Sun when seen from Earth. This phase occurs just after Full Moon, but before New Moon.
This is one of the phases where the light from the Moon is a lot brighter than at the Full Moon. During this phase, you can see about half of the Moon’s surface illuminated.
Last Quarter Moon
The last quarter moon occurs after the full moon and the New Moon, marking three-quarters of the lunar cycle. This means that the illuminated side of the moon is receding, or waning as astronomers call it, and its appearance will get progressively less dramatic each day.
It will be visible in the night sky from around midnight on the eastern horizon, rising to transit the meridian at sunrise and setting about an hour later, local time.
The last quarter moon will occur on Friday, December 16 (as seen from New York City), with the lunar disk exactly half-illuminated. This will be the last time it will do so during 2022, so keep an eye out for it as it rises in the night sky over the coming days and weeks.